The actor recalled how on the first day of the shoot, he told himself this can be the first day for the rest of his life 'if I get this right.' 'And that's what I just tried to do - work my hardest and take each day as it came and just deliver what Habib sir wanted. When you are making a film you kind of become numb to the result, you just want to work hard every day and do your best in front of the camera,' Arjun said in a statement.

The 34-year-old actor said when he saw the film, it hit him that he had the ability to hold his own in front of a camera.

'This feeling did give me the self-belief that given the right opportunities, I would be able to continue being a mainstream commercial hero.At that point of time, self-belief was one thing that mattered the most for me and that's what I got out of 'Ishaqzaade,'' he added.

Arjun said 'Ishaqzaade' was an unconventional debut as his character, Parma Chauhan, had shades of grey.

'He was a guy who was real and believable because Parma Chauhan exists in society. There are men like him even today who do not know how to behave themselves and who believe they are above the system and the law till life happens to them, till reality hits them.

'He’s a man who may not be somebody who can redeem himself but he still tries his best to get by life, tries to do the right thing by doing right by Zoya (Parineeti), who he eventually falls in love with.' Arjun and Parineeti went on to work in 'Namaste England' and were gearing up for the release of their next, 'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar' before the lockdown was announced. PTI JUR SHD SHD